Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Overview
In this Expressive Arts section, the e-book is integral to the learning. Practitioners can use the talking
script to encourage learners to concentrate and listen carefully to the story of “Aye Aye”, as his friends
search for him. The drama work that follows each element of the story relates directly to it, in terms of
theme or characters.
Stirlin g Cas tle 260
There are many layers to this work. Learners will certainly develop their listening skills as they hear the
story of “Aye Aye”, but familiarising them first with the story and the e-book is recommended.
The development of other key skills is built into this work. Confidence building, self-awareness, group
discussion and self-reflection are all central to the purpose of the drama work and practitioners and
learners alike will quickly see further areas where the work might take them…..Looking at “Getting lost”,
in Part 2 of the journey, for example, may give learners scope for further discussion and classwork.
“Different Perspectives”, in Part 4, might also prove to be a fruitful source for further development.
Practitioners can take the learners on this journey at a pace which suits their group and ensure that each
learner feels comfortable and supported every step of the way. Please also ensure that the space chosen
for the activities is appropriate.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
1
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Challenge 1
Introduction
This part of our journey is based around Drama, but may involve other elements of Expressive Arts. We will go on this journey together with our learners, to find “AyeAye” and finally we will perform the work. The following offers suggestions, advice and guidance on how you might explore each part of the story, using drama
techniques.
Relax
Imagine
Create
Ask the learners to find a space on the floor and
lie down. Ask for complete silence. Eyes closed,
arms by their sides and, when all is quiet, use the
talking script of the e-book to let them hear this
first section of the story. Suggest Screen One
only.
Imagine Aye-Aye the Lemur. With a partner, sit
cross- legged on the floor, facing each other. ‘A’
should take on the facial expressions that AyeAye might have. ‘B’ should copy. Confirm the
meanings with pupils as you go, if they need
additional support…..
Create a Baobab tree. In groups of 4/5, use a big
space on the floor and create the shape of the
tree with the body. Chairs and tables can be
used, but Health and Safety should be
considered.
LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY
“Rat’s teeth”
THINK ABOUT WHAT IS BEING SAID
“Eyes like saucers”
IMAGINE WHAT THE SCENE LOOKS LIKE
Add in emotions…………Aye-Aye is afraid/ Aye-Aye
is happy that his friends found him/ Aye-Aye is ….
When the story is finished and the learners are
relaxed, lower the voice so that it is very quiet
and take the pupils through a simple imaginative
relaxation exercise.
Jagged/Huge/Branches/Sweeping/Leaves/
Menacing/Broad
Extend this activity in a range of contexts.
What do they remember about the story?
Characters/setting/plot.
What could they see in their minds eye?
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
Words to help:
2
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Participate
Script
Act out!
Encourage participation with this exercise. This
can be done with a whole class or in small
groups.
Script the scene. Script the conversation between
Lulu and Emile.
Act out Episode One. This can be done in small
groups and improvised. Make sure you have
given the pupils enough detail, or alternatively
give character cards as a starting point.
Ask the learners to imagine that they are walking
through the rainforest. What is your role in this
party of adventurers?
Script challenge- THREE sentences in your script
must be written in French.
Ask the pupils to act out their scripts.
Zebu
Leader? Cook ? Cameraman? Scientist? Set the
context for the class if that is appropriate for
your learners. What would the rainforest look
like? What sounds can you hear? What does it
smell like?
Crocodile
Tree people
What obstacles are there here? Can the learners
be encouraged to use objects and furniture from
around the room? Would a narrator be
appropriate in your setting ?
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
Characters:
3
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Challenge 2
Introduction
Lulu and Emile begin the journey to look for Aye-Aye. These activities may take place over a number of sessions.
Listen
Get the learners to listen to the next
part of the story (use the relaxation
position to do this, as in the first
section, through the e-book)
After the listening activity, ask the
learners what happened in the next
part of the story.
Create
Put the learners into groups of four. Give each group a printed card with the “Scenario” written on it. They should
discuss how they might act out the given scenario. There are choices for the group to make within the task.
DISCUSS- Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Scenario : Four friends are out together at: ( make one choice )
A concert
The entrance to a theatre
A park
A fairground
The cinema
They are excited as they are going to see/hear something great. When they are chatting, they do not notice that one
member of the group has disappeared. What do they do? ( choose one )
Stay in the same place and wait
Go looking for the friend – each searching individually
Let someone know that their friend has disappeared
Search for him/her in pairs
What challenges would you have when trying to find your friend in a big crowded place?
What happens? You decide! You may need to create 2 or 3 short scenes to tell your story.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
4
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Rehearse
Act out
Allow the groups 15 minutes rehearsal time. Be
sure that they all have a clear role to play and
know what they are doing. Planning is key to the
success of this task. Practitioners should keep
moving round the groups, helping and suggesting
ways to progress effectively.
Allow each group the opportunity to act out their
short play in front of the class. The rest of the
class should evaluate / comment on what has
been produced.
Self-evaluation is important when this task is
complete, and indeed when it is progressing.
Peer evaluation can be a great way for learners
to become confident about analysing the work of
others, in order to improve their own
performance
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
5
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Challenge 3
Introduction
Listening to the next part of the story should take place after a recap of what has happened so far.
Again, using the relaxation technique will help. Let the children listen to the next section, up to Screen 7.
Questions and answer
What animals have we met so far? What obstacles
have they faced on the way to find Aye-Aye?
Each animal is a CHARACTER in the story and has
an important ROLE to play.
Discuss
In small groups, pupils should discuss the Aye-Aye
story so far. What animals have we met so far and
what obstacles did they have to overcome? Ask
the learners to recall these in order. You may want
to issue a copy of the story to them, to assist with
their discussions.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
Obstacle course
Like Aye-Aye’s friends, we will face a series of obstacles in this session, but our friends in the class will
help us to safety.
The practitioner should use items found around the class to create an obstacle course. These items
could be laid out in another space to be used after the story recap and telling of this new section (a gym
or GP room perhaps). You could use chairs/tables/a coat stand/crates/boxes etc.
One of the pupils is blindfolded and stands at one side of the room. Another is selected and stands
directly opposite, with all the obstacles in between. A third learner acts as “watcher” and will stay close
to the blindfolded learner in case of any possible mishaps.
The blindfolded participant will have to make his/her way to the other side, guided by their friend, who
calls out directions “take 3 steps to the right!”/ “walk ahead for four paces”/ “crouch down onto your
knees to avoid a high bar” etc. Children can all take turns (three at a time) or you may want to do this
with only a few small groups and re-visit it at a later date.
This is all about trust. Please be aware of Health and Safety at all times.
6
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Create
Act out
In Movement only, with no dialogue, the groups
are going to explore how they might tell the story
so far. You can offer them music, simple props
and lighting, if it is available, or perhaps
appropriate masks. This can work equally well
with nothing at all, but some simple theatre arts
will help. NO SPEAKING WILL BE NECESSARY AT
THIS STAGE!!
Each group will act out their version of the story, in
any way they wish to. If they want to add some
speaking, someone might act as narrator, telling
the story in either English or, if they are brave, in
French, from a printed version. Remember that
they should not go beyond Screen 7.
Offer the learners up to 20 minutes to work out
what they will do. Mime needs to be
exaggerated, it should be Slow and Simple, so
remind them of that and let them explore - and
have fun!!
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
7
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Challenge 4
Introduction
The following session begins with listening once again. This time, use Screens 8 and 9. You can allocate as much or as little time for these activities as you see fit.
They may, in fact, take place over a number of days/weeks depending on how you wish to incorporate them into other work.
Listen
Create
Using a simple relaxation on the floor, learners will listen to the end of
the Aye-Aye story. Practitioners may want to recap by playing every
part of the story as a starting point. The story concludes with the
discovery of Aye-Aye and reveals that his friends have been wrong to
“assume” he had disappeared. It was a misunderstanding.
In the groups (which should be four or five), allocate a role card to each person,
and ask them to read carefully. You should only share the following information:
More listening! More fun!
(a) The scenes are set in a house.
(b) The characters are Mum, Dad, 2 children and Grandma/Grandpa.
Once the role cards are given out and the rules of the task are clear, learners
should have up to 20 minutes to rehearse and work out their story.
After the recap discussion and Q and A with learners about the story so far, the next activity creates random groups for the main activity, which involves more
listening. The class will do this as a whole group. Ask the class to line up, one behind the other. One at a time, they come forward and the teacher whispers in their
ear. The word whispered will be…..
CAT/COW/PIG/SHEEP/HORSE or whatever animals you choose. If you wish to, you could use the animals in the Aye-Aye story, if you have thought about and
discussed what sounds these animals might make. You can, of course, just have these on laminated card, but this way makes it more exciting and enhances the
idea of a “secret”
Ask the learners to find a space in the room, once they have their animal. Now ask learners to close their eyes and no peeking…..
Ask the learners to make the sound of their animal and find their “own”. Chaos ensues and it is loud, but the focus is to LISTEN to find members of your team. Once
the teams are formed, the next activity can begin.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
8
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Rehearse
Scene one – The family arrives for a family meeting. Child 2 has something in a bag which they run upstairs with. Mum wonders what it is.
Scene two – The family meeting. Child 2 gets upset by the end of the meeting and runs upstairs
Scene three – Mum and Dad confront Child 2 about what they are hiding as they are very suspicious.
The child reveals the truth and the misunderstanding is now clear.
Mother
You have 2 children. One is a sporty child and is always running, playing football, participating in competitions etc. and is your pride and joy. Your other
child is very clever at school and is always top of the class. However, recently, this second child has been getting into a bit of trouble at school. He/she has
been hanging around with another child who hardly goes to school and has been in some serious trouble. You are very worried about it and have decided
that, tonight, you are going to have a word with him/ her.
Father
You work in a local garage as a car mechanic. You work long hours and your family hardly sees you. Your children are both great and you are very proud of
them both. Your wife is very concerned about one of them at the moment, as things are not going so well for him/her at school and, tonight, you need to
be home by six for a family meeting, to discuss things. You are not worried. Kids go through these bad patches at times, but you know it will pass. It’s your
wedding anniversary tomorrow….you had better get a card and some flowers on the way home!
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
9
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Child One
You are 13. You love your life and all is great. You have masses of school friends and you are very popular. You love sport and have loads of trophies, from
gymnastics to football, and even one from a crazy golf tournament last summer. Your Mum and Dad always come to see you and are so proud of you! Your
big brother/sister is the bookworm and is always getting his/her success through schoolwork and coming top of the class. Recently, things have not been so
great though, and Mum had to go to the school last week to talk about his/her poor performance in some class tests. Mum and Dad are a bit worried.
Tonight is the family meeting to talk it all through. Even Gran is coming! It’s Mum and Dad’s wedding anniversary tomorrow. You will need to get a card on
the way home.
Gran/ Grandpa
You are the parent of John, a car mechanic who works really hard. He has been married for 16 years tomorrow and you are going over for tea tonight. His
wife seems a bit preoccupied and worried about your grandson/granddaughter and so she’s not cooking but sending out for fish and chips. You have a nice
card and a set of tea towels to take over. You can never have too many tea towels!
Child Two
You are the bright child in this family. You always work hard at school and come top of the class. You were surprised last month though, when you failed
three class tests in a row in Maths. It is so unlike you but you put it down to the fact that you really do not get on with your new Maths teacher and you
found the last three topics so hard. You know that it had also a little bit to do with the fact that you have been hanging around at night, near the park, with
Sammy who lives near you. You like him, but he hardly goes to school at all and is not likely to pass any of his exams further up the school. Mum really does
not like him. Mum had to come to school to discuss your tests, but you know it won’t happen again. You want to do well. Tonight there is a family meeting
about it all. You have a box of crystal glasses for Mum and Dad’s wedding anniversary. You have used up your savings to buy them, but you wanted to get
something nice because you have caused them so much worry recently. The plan is to sneak the glasses into the house and hide them under the bed and
give your parents the present tomorrow.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
10
Madagascar – Focus on Expressive arts (Drama)
Second level
Second Level
Enhance
The Drama could be enhanced with the use of appropriate Theatre Arts.
Perform
Learners should perform their short plays to the class.
Evaluate
Learners could evaluate their own work and the work of other groups after the performances.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/passeportfrancophone
11